South Sudan Crisis - Oireachtas Briefing - 18 02 2015

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Presentation!to!
The!Oireachtas!Joint!Committee!on!Foreign!Affairs!and!Trade!
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Barry!Andrews,!Chief!Executive!
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Wednesday,!18!February!2015!
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GOAL!is!an!international!humanitarian!agency!delivering!humanitarian!aid!and!emergency!relief!
in!15!developing!countries.!Our!programmes!include!Health;!Water,!Sanitation!and!Hygiene!
(WASH);!Nutrition;!Livelihoods,!Food!Security;!emergency!response;!disaster!preparedness!and!
mitigation;!childrenEatErisk,!and!community!development.!
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GOAL!has!a!longEstanding!history!in!South!Sudan,!having!been!operational!in!thenEsouthern!
Sudan!since!1985.!!GOAL!initially!worked!in!the!Health!sector,!and!Primary!Health!Care!remains!at!
the!core!of!GOAL’s!programming!in!South!Sudan,!but!operations!have!since!expanded!to!include!
multiEsectorial!responses!in!the!WASH,!Nutrition!and!Livelihoods!sectors,!in!addition!to!
emergency!NonEFood!Items!programming.!!!
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Since!the!outbreak!of!hostilities!in!December,!2013!GOAL’s!programmes!have!shifted!in!response!
to!the!rapidly!changing!needs!of!both!Internally!Displaced!People!(IDPs)!and!vulnerable!and!
underserved!host!communities!to!include!a!significant!emergency!response!portfolio!across!
conflictEaffected!Upper!Nile!State.!
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South!Sudan!crisis!presentation!to!The!Oireachtas!Joint!Committee!on!Foreign!Affairs!and!Trade!18.02.15!
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Overview!of!the!Current!Crisis!
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The!current!conflict!in!South!Sudan!began!on!15th
!December,!2013!when!a!longEstanding!political!
dispute!erupted!into!violence.!An!armed!confrontation!between!officers!loyal!to!President!Salva!
Kiir!and!soldiers!backing!his!exEdeputy!Riek!Machar!broke!out!at!an!SPLA!(Sudan!People’s!
Liberation!Army!–!the!national!army!of!South!Sudan)!barracks!in!Juba.!The!events!leading!up!to!
the!clash!continue!to!be!disputed,!but!regardless!of!exactly!what!precipitated!them,!the!
subsequent!exchange!of!fire!tipped!the!balance!from!unstable!peace!to!widespread!political!
violence.!!
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This!confrontation!quickly!deteriorated!as!the!split!in!the!army!was!replicated!across!sections!of!
the!population,!resulting!in!widespread!violence!and!killings!largely!along!tribal!and!ethnic!lines.!!
South!Sudan!is!already!one!of!the!poorest!countries!in!the!world,!with!some!of!the!world’s!worst!
development!indicators.!The!impact!of!the!ongoing!conflict!on!the!overall!humanitarian!situation!
there!has!been!catastrophic!and!is!showing!little!potential!for!improvement.!Similarly,!there!is!
virtually!no!sign!of!political!will!for!an!end!to!hostilities.!
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We!are!now!one!year!on!from!the!UN!declaration!of!a!Level!3!Emergency!–!the!highest!
classification!of!a!humanitarian!crisis!–!and!the!overall!security!scenario!in!South!Sudan!continues!
to!be!volatile,!unpredictable!and!extremely!violent!in!the!three!states!(Jonglei,!Unity!and!Upper!
Nile)!that!have!been!directly!affected!by!the!conflict.!Localised!violence,!military!defections!and!
ethnic!tensions,!meanwhile,!have!spread!to!areas!that!were!previously!relatively!peaceful.!!!
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However,!military!hostilities!are!not!the!greatest!indicator!of!the!scale!and!impact!that!the!
fighting!is!having.!The!main!means!of!prosecuting!this!war!(by!both!sides)!remains!the!targeting!
of!civilians!–!either!by!manipulation!of!population!movements,!imposition!of!taxes,!or!direct!
targeting!(violence!and!intimidation!based!on!ethnicity!and!political!affiliation)!–!and!the!
Protection!situation!for!civilians!is!dire!and!deteriorating.!!Human!rights!abuses!are!rife!and!
conducted!with!impunity,!with!regular!targeting!of!civilians!and!nonEmilitary!assets!and!
infrastructure.!Over!1.5!million!people!have!been!internally!displaced!as!a!result!of!violence!and!
insecurity,!while!an!additional!half!a!million!refugees!have!fled!to!neighbouring!countries.!

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To!date,!regional!and!international!attempts!at!stemming!the!conflict!have!proved!ineffectual,!
with!all!Cessation!of!Hostilities!Agreements!and!ceasefires!signed!to!date!proving!effectively!
worthless!in!practice,!with!neither!government!nor!opposition!forces!acquiescing!to!their!terms;!
the!Intergovernmental!Authority!on!Development!(IGAD)Ebrokered!peace!agreement!signed!in!
May!2014,!for!instance,!was!broken!within!hours!of!its!signing.!The!lack!of!political!will!for!peace!
on!both!sides!has!long!been!evident:!the!UN!Security!Council!have!formally!condemned!both!
parties!to!little!effect,!while!UN!sanctions!against!military!commanders!on!both!sides,!and!African!
Union!threats!of!more!widespread!sanctions,!have!done!little!to!staunch!the!bloodshed.!Both!
sides!continue!to!engage!in!political!brinkmanship!as!the!humanitarian!situation!continues!to!
deteriorate.!
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In!2014,!urgent!action!from!the!humanitarian!community!narrowly!averted!what!would!have!
been!the!world’s!first!manEmade!famine.1
!!However,!the!ongoing!conflict!–!and!subsequent!failed!
planting!and!harvest,!widespread!destruction!of!assets,!poor!functioning!markets,!and!increased!
cattle!disease!–!has!left!2.5!million!people!at!risk!of!Crisis!or!Emergency!levels!of!Food!Insecurity.!!!
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There!is!now!an!urgent!need!for!the!scalingEup!of!humanitarian!efforts!in!South!Sudan!to!prevent!
widespread!loss!of!life.!The!situation!is!so!dire!that!even!allowing!for!largeEscale!food!aid!
interventions,!South!Sudan!is!likely!to!experience!famine!in!some!parts!of!the!country!in!the!
coming!months.!
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GOAL’s!Response!!
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GOAL!has!strategically!positioned!itself!so!as!to!meet!the!needs!of!displaced!people!from!its!
historical!areas!of!operation!along!the!corridors!of!displacement,!both!in!South!Sudan!and!in!
refugee!camps!in!Gambella,!Ethiopia.!GOAL’s!South!Sudan!and!Ethiopia!programmes!have!
worked!closely!together!to!share!staff,!information!and!expertise!to!meet!the!needs!of!these!
vulnerable!communities!as!effectively!as!possible.!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1
!http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/bnEfromEcrisisEtoEcatastropheEfoodEsecurityEsouthEsudanE
061014Een.pdf!!

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South!Sudan!
GOAL!South!Sudan!has!scaled!up!its!programmes!significantly!in!response!to!the!crisis,!providing!
lifeEsaving!and!emergency!interventions!to!almost!700,000!beneficiaries,!through!66!health!and!
nutrition!centres,!complimented!by!integrated!Food!Security,!Livelihoods,!and!Water!and!
Sanitation!programmes.!
!!
GOAL!has!been!operational!in!Upper!Nile!State!–!the!site!of!some!of!the!worst!fighting!in!the!
conflict!to!date!–!since!2007.!As!a!result!of!the!conflict,!about!435,000!and!195,000!people!are!
currently!estimated!to!be!in!Crisis!(IPC!Phase!3)!and!Emergency!(IPC!Phase!4)!food!insecurity!
categories!respectively,!with!64%!of!households!being!unable!to!plant!any!crops!at!all!in!2014.2
!!!
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GOAL!has!expanded!its!operations!to!three!new!Counties!–!Maiwut,!Melut!and!Longochuk!–!
following!the!displacement!patterns!of!communities!from!Baliet!and!Ulang!counties,!with!whom!
GOAL!has!been!working!since!2007.!In!Longochuk!County,!a!rapid!nutrition!assessment!carried!
out!by!GOAL!showed!alarming!rates!of!malnutrition!in!this!hardEtoEreach!area,!with!47.45%!of!
children!aged!6!–!59!months!malnourished.!This!is!significantly!beyond!the!World!Health!
Organisation!(WHO)!emergency!threshold!of!15%,!and!the!worst!rates!of!malnutrition!that!
GOAL’s!highly!experienced!nutrition!team!have!ever!seen.!GOAL!works!in!informal!camps!for!
Internally!Displaced!People!(IDPs),!as!well!as!supporting!host!communities,!whose!livelihoods!and!
coping!mechanisms!have!been!severely!overstretched!by!the!large!scale!presence!of!IDPs.!
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Ethiopia!
GOAL!teams!in!Ethiopia!continue!to!form!a!crucial!part!of!our!overall!response!to!the!South!
Sudan!crisis!by!managing!emergency!nutrition,!feeding!programmes!and!other!support!at!
Gambella.!This!region,!located!just!over!the!border!from!Ulang,!Maiwut!and!Longochuk!counties!
continues!to!experience!enormous!influxes!of!South!Sudanese!refugees.!More!than!193,000!have!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2
!http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/IPC%20South%20Sudan%20E%20Dec%202014%20E
%20Detailed%20Report.pdf!!

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sought!refuge!here!since!December!2013.3
!Working!closely!together,!the!two!teams!look!to!
provide!a!continuum!of!care!along!this!corridor.!
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GOAL’s!Ethiopia!team!is!working!at!two!refugee!camps!at!Gambella!E!Tierkadi!and!Kule.!!As!of!
February,!2015,!more!than!95,000!people!are!living!at!these!camps,!with!almost!90%!of!the!total!
population!made!up!of!women!and!children.!!
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GOAL!is!conducting!emergency!nutrition!programming,!including!the!management!of!Severe!
Acute!Malnutrition!(SAM)!and!Moderate!Acute!Malnutrition!(MAM);!a!Blanket!Supplementary!
Feeding!Programme!(BSFP)!for!children!6E59!months!and!for!pregnant!and!lactating!women;!
promotion!of!appropriate!Infant!and!Young!Child!Feeding!(IYCF)!practices;!and!community!
outreach,!mobilisation!and!sensitisation.!To!date,!GOAL!has!reached!almost!37,000!refugees!
through!these!services.!
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Irish!Aid’s!support!in!both!South!Sudan!and!Ethiopia!is!critical,!meeting!the!needs!of!over!259,700!
direct!beneficiaries!through!both!emergency!and!recovery!funding!mechanisms,!enabling!lifeE
saving!Health,!Nutrition!and!Water!and!Sanitation!programmes;!preventing!further!loss!of!assets!
and!livelihoods;!and!putting!in!place!foundations!for!future!community!recovery.!GOAL!would!
like!to!take!this!opportunity!to!thank!the!Irish!Government!and!the!Irish!people!for!the!generous!
support!that!they!have!shown!to!our!programmes!in!South!Sudan!and!Ethiopia,!and!to!emphasise!
the!need!for!continued!assistance!and!awareness!to!help!prevent!widespread!loss!of!life.!
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Key!Humanitarian!Challenges!
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Due!to!extreme!levels!of!poverty,!the!almost!total!lack!of!infrastructure!and!the!proliferation!of!
armed!actors,!South!Sudan!has!long!been!one!of!the!most!complex!humanitarian!operating!
environments,!a!situation!that!has!only!intensified!since!the!outbreak!of!conflict.!For!this!conflict!
to!end,!and!for!GOAL!and!other!International!NonEGovernmental!Organisations!to!reach!as!many!
people!as!possible!with!humanitarian!aid!in!the!interim,!the!following!key!challenges!must!be!
addressed:!
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3
!South!Sudanese!refugee!population!in!Gambella!(as!of!13EFebruaryE2015)!

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A!critical!shortfall!in!donor!support!and!key!logistical!assets:!!
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Although!South!Sudan!has!fallen!off!the!media!radar,!the!humanitarian!needs!remain!acute.!The!
UN’s!Office!for!the!Coordination!of!Humanitarian!Affairs!(OCHA)!predicts!that!$1.8!billion!is!
required!for!the!2015!response,!of!which!$600!million!is!needed!by!the!end!of!February!to!make!
use!of!the!narrow!window!for!transportation!of!critical!supplies!and!assets,!in!preparation!for!the!
arrival!of!the!rainy!season!around!April!or!May.4
!!!
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Of!particular!concern!is!the!shortfall!in!funding!for!essential!logistical!services,!in!particular!air!
support.!Given!the!lack!of!road!network!in!South!Sudan,!and!the!fact!that!90%!of!all!IDPs!are!in!
hardEtoEreach!rural!locations!–!many!of!which!are!only!accessible!by!helicopter!–!the!INGO!
community!is!reliant!on!a!regular!and!effective!UN!Humanitarian!Air!Service!(UNHAS),!which!in!
South!Sudan!is!operated!by!the!World!Food!Programme!(WFP).!However,!‘However,!UNHAS!have!
run!out!of!funds’,!and!the!UN!Central!Emergency!Response!Fund!(CERF)!is!also!exhausted.!
Already,!air!capacity!is!less!than!a!third!of!what!it!was,!and!with!WFP!planning!to!scaleEdown!
further!in!March,!the!ability!of!NGOs!to!reach!people!most!at!need!will!be!severely!affected.!
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One$of$our$key$messages$to$the$committee$today$is$that$direct$support$to$NGOs$remains$critical$
in$South$Sudan.$While$the$UN$continue$to$provide$essential$services$to$the$100,000$IDPs$
sheltering$inside$the$Protection$Of$Civilian$sites$(POCs)$in$key$state$capitals,$the$vast$majority$of$
IDPs$are$in$remote$locations,$and$remain$reliant$on$the$NGOs$who$are$providing$services.$$
International$actors$–$governments$and$donors$–$must$ensure$that$they$don’t$just$support$the$
UN,$but$provide$support$to$NGOs,$who$have$a$higher$degree$of$flexibility$and$independence$in$
South$Sudan$than$UN$agencies.!!!
$
The$recently$released$Integrated$Food$Security$Phase$Classification$(IPC)$report$on$South$Sudan5
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contains$evidence$of$the$impact$of$the$concerted$efforts$by$the$humanitarian$community$in$
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4
!http://www.humanitarianresponse.info/system/files/documents/files/2015_HRP_SOUTH%20SUDAN.pdf!!
5
!http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/IPC%20South%20Sudan%20E%20Dec%202014%20E
%20Detailed%20Report.pdf!!

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2014,$which$has$resulted$in$a$downgrading$of$the$projected$food$insecurity$classification$from$
Emergency$(Phase$4)$to$Crisis$(Phase$3)$in$12$counties.$With$predictions$in$the$same$report$that$
2.5$million$people$will$face$Emergency$(IPC$Phase$4)$and$Crisis$(IPC$Phase$3)$food$insecurity$
levels$between$January$and$March$this$year,$a$similar$preventative$response$is$essential$at$this$
time$to$prevent$a$rapid$deterioration$of$the$Food$Security$situation$in$South$Sudan.$$
$
However,$the$window$of$opportunity$is$so$short,$that$immediate$and$decisive$donor$support$is$
of$paramount$importance.$
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Need!for!Coherent!Political!Solution!
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Contrary!to!how!it!has!regularly!been!presented!–!as!an!intrinsically!ethnic!conflict!–!South!
Sudan’s!crisis!is!an!inherently!political!crisis,!and!as!such!it!requires!a!political!solution.!!
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The!main,!IGADEmediated,!peace!talks!have!proven!largely!ineffective!–!preventing!a!
regionalisation!of!the!conflict,!but!little!else!–!and!their!scale!and!ambition!has!notably!been!
reduced!by!the!political!and!procedural!impediments!they!have!faced.!!The!mediation!process!is!
seriously!flawed,!lacking!a!comprehensive!framework!and!roadmap!for!peace;!it!is!not!inclusive,!
featuring!political!elites!only,!to!the!exclusion!of!South!Sudan’s!civil!society!actors!and!nascent!
nonEviolent!political!opposition;!and!features!multiple!tracks!in!the!mediation!process!led!by!
regional!powers,!a!number!of!whom!(such!as!Uganda!and!Sudan)!are!also!engaged!as!proxies!in!
the!conflict,!further!undermining!the!legitimacy!of!the!process.!But!most!of!all,!the!talks!are!
failing!to!address!issues!of!accountability,!repeating!the!critical!mistake!that!was!made!during!the!
preEindependence!period!of!prioritising!peace!before!justice.!
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For!while!the!conflict!may!be!political!at!root!rather!than!ethnic,!the!conflict!rapidly!took!on!an!
ethnic!dimension,!and!the!African!Union’s!decision!to!delay!indefinitely!the!publication!of!their!
report!into!human!rights!abuses!conducted!by!both!sides,!ostensibly!to!enable!the!continuation!
of!the!peace!talks,!represents!a!key!strategic!error.!The!absence!of!a!meaningful!reconciliation!
process!since!the!signing!of!the!Comprehensive!Peace!Agreement!(CPA)!in!2005!has!been!one!of!
the!primary!contributing!factors!to!the!current!crisis,!whereby!the!main!political!actors!involved!

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have!reignited!longEstanding!unresolved!tribal!rivalries!to!serve!their!own!political!ends.!As!such,!
openly!addressing!the!abuses!and!violations!that!have!been!committed!by!all!parties!in!this!
conflict!6
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!is!key!to!enabling!future!reconciliation!among!fragmented!and!traumatised!civilians.!
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The$EU$has$a$strong$commitment$to$accountability$and$I$would$respectfully$suggest$that$this$
committee$use$its$influence$to$ensure$Ireland$leverages$its$membership$of$the$Human$Rights$
Council$to$lead$an$effort$to$promote$this,$and$commit$to$driving$this$accountability$agenda$at$
the$forthcoming$World$Humanitarian$Summit$in$2016.$
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Shrinking!humanitarian!space!
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Finally,!it!should!be!pointed!out!that!since!the!eruption!of!hostilities!more!than!a!year!ago,!
relations!between!the!international!community!(including!INGOs)!and!the!Government!of!South!
Sudan!have!degraded.!Initially,!increasing!governmental!antagonism!centred!on!UNMISS!and!
other!UN!agencies.!However,!from!midE2014!onward,!South!Sudanese!government!officials!have!
increasingly!targeted!INGOs.!This!has!taken!the!form!of!an!increasingly!restrictive!operating!
environment,!with!bureaucratic!impediments!(both!formal!and!informal),!restrictions!on!
humanitarian!access,!and!proposals!to!introduce!legislation!giving!the!government!direct!control!
over!humanitarian!operations,!in!contravention!of!humanitarian!principles,!international!law!and!
South!Sudan’s!own!constitution.!These!policies!are!having!a!deleterious!effect!on!the!ability!of!
NGOs!to!impartially!provide!services!to!all!people!in!need,!regardless!of!ethnicity!or!political!
affiliation.!
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Ends!
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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
6
!http://www.hrw.org/news/2014/08/08/southEsudanEmassacresEunlawfulEkillingsEpillage!!
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!
http://www.unmiss.unmissions.org/Portals/unmiss/Human%20Rights%20Reports/UNMISS%20Conflict%20in%20Sout
h%20Sudan%20E%20A%20Human%20Rights%20Report.pdf!!

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Annex!1:!Irish!Aid!funding:!
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! Funding!Stream! Area! Budget!
South!Sudan!
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Irish!Aid!Programme!Funding!2014! Warrap!State,!Abyei!
Administrative!Area!
€1,800,000!
Irish!Aid!Programme!Funding!2014! Warrap!State,!Abyei!
€1,800,000!
Humanitarian!Programme!
Partnership!2013!–!2014!
Upper!Nile!State!–!
Baliet!County!
€300,000!
Humanitarian!Programme!
Partnership!2015!(proposed)!
Baliet!County!
€395,000!
Emergency!Response!Funding!
Scheme!
Maiwut!County!
€150,000!
2014!Presidential!Fund!for!South!
Sudan!Response!
Maiwut!and!Ulang!
Counties!
€250,000!
Ethiopia! 2014!Presidential!Fund!for!South!
Sudan!Response!
Gambella! €500,000!
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Annex!2:!Beneficiary!numbers:!
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! State! County! Sectors! Beneficiaries!
South!
Sudan!
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Upper!Nile! Baliet! Health,!Nutrition,! 49,205!
Longochuk! Nutrition! 23,284!
Maiwut! Health! 86,830!
Melut! Health,!Nutrition! 24,060!
Ulang! Health! 114,669!
Warrap! Twic! Health,!Nutrition,!WASH,!
Livelihoods!
295,385!
Abyei!
! Health,!Nutrition,!WASH,!
Livelihoods!
92,969!
Ethiopia! Gambella! Kule! Nutrition! 17,010!
Tierkadi! Nutrition! 19,134!

Annex%3:%Map%of%South%Sudan%
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South!Sudan!crisis!–!facts!and!figures!
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• There!are!currently!2.5!million!people!at!risk!of!Crisis!or!
Emergency!levels!of!Food!Insecurity!
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• There!is!an!estimated!235,000!children!currently!suffering!
from!severe!acute!malnutrition!
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• There!is!a!total!of!6.4m!people!currently!in!need!in!South!
Sudan!
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• There!are!1.9m!people!internally!displaced!
!
• OCHA!predicts!that!$1.8!billion!is!required!for!the!2015!response,!of!which!$600!million!is!
needed!by!the!end!of!February!to!transport!critical!supplies!and!assets!ahead!of!the!rainy!season!
around!April!or!May!
!
• 90%!of!all!IDPs!are!in!hardJtoJreach!rural!locations!!
!
• Over!half!a!million!refugees!from!South!Sudan!have!fled!to!neighbouring!countries!–!more!than!
193,000!have!sought!refuge!at!Gambella,!Ethiopia!
!

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GOAL!in!South!Sudan:!
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• GOAL!has!a!longJstanding!history!in!South!Sudan,!having!been!operational!in!thenJsouthern!
Sudan!since!1985.!!!
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• GOAL!South!Sudan!has!scaled!up!its!programmes!significantly!in!response!to!the!crisis,!providing!
lifeJsaving!and!emergency!interventions!to!almost!700,000!beneficiaries!
!
• It!is!doing!this!through!66!health!and!nutrition!centres!
!
• GOAL’s!Ethiopia!team!is!working!at!two!refugee!camps!at!Gambella!–!providing!services!for!more!
than!95,000!South!Sudanese!refugees,!90%!of!whom!are!women!and!children.!
!
• Irish!Aid’s!support!in!both!South!Sudan!and!Ethiopia!is!critical,!meeting!the!needs!of!over!
259,700!direct!beneficiaries!through!both!emergency!and!recovery!funding!mechanisms!
!
!

South Sudan Crisis - Oireachtas Briefing - 18 02 2015

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